Well, I’m here to report that our new adventure is going good so far! Brady started working on Monday (last week) and he really likes it! He’s doing good and I’m so proud :) I, on the other hand, am enjoying the beautiful weather, reading a great book and spending time with Brady and my in-law’s! I am not too familiar with where we live now but I know I’ll pick it up quick (hopefully)! I’m so excited to go to the library this week and check out some more books. Do some more spreads in my bullet journal, and start exercising a little bit more. There are some exercise goals that I want to work on so I’ll have to do a little bit of research first!

I miss my family and friends. Going home this past weekend was really hard on me. Missing my dad very much, feelings of depression and just being back home really made me wish we hadn’t come home in the first place! I never thought I’d say that but I’m ready to go back to our new home and life. I’m so excited to keep sharing our lives with you here on the blog. Little things that I’m up to and maybe things we do or places we go! One of my goals either this month or next (depending on the weather), is to make it to the temple!! I sure miss that place!

My mother-in-law’s beautiful tree!

Brady and I went to church in our new ward and it went just fine! I was a little nervous going into the classes but I ended up doing great! Brady just looks so cute in his Sunday attire!

Ever since I started working at a bookstore, my desire to read more books has spiked! I feel like I’m on a roll but I’m actually not reading any faster than I already do. I just don’t have enough time in the day to read all that I want to! I haven’t done this linkup since September so I’ll include books between then and now!

Couldn’t Stop Reading

Understanding Temple Symbols Through Scripture, History, and Art by Jack M. Lyon — Okay, so I could not read this book fast enough!!! I really enjoyed this book. It’s amazing to learn more about the history of LDS temples and their symbols. Growing up in the LDS Church, you learn about temples when you’re young, and that you want to go there someday. When you’re a little bit older (like teen years), you learn about the family history and work for the dead that goes on inside the temples. When you’re older (adulthood), you learn more about the covenants you make inside, with God, and your understanding becomes bigger and the explanations, reasons, symbols because better and greater. With this book, Jack not only takes the symbols of the temples physically, but the symbols of the covenants, rituals, marriage ceremony, ordinances, and even the temple clothing. I just feel like an entire branch grew on my understanding of the temple and what we learn inside! I am so impressed by this book! ★★★★★

Seek This Jesus by Neill Marriott — I love Neill. Neill Marriot is a former LDS General Authority. A Leader of the Young Women of the Church in the General Presidency as Second Counselor. She has a sweet accent and I almost couldn’t even read this book without hearing her voice say the words in my head. It’s brilliant. She shares her story of conversion. She’s from the south and learning about her life/growing up before joining the LDS Church is really inspiring. I love learning about other faiths, and the lives that others live in their faiths. I know a lot of growing up in the Mormon Faith (LDS faith) because I am a member of the LDS Church, so I really enjoy books like these. Neill experiences many things that a lot of people experience today but explains it in a way that isn’t your average conversion story. Hers is her very own, and I loved all of it. Her faith in God is strong and incredible. Definitely contagious and I just hope that I can have faith like her in my life! ★★★★★

Fine Reads

Cheers to Eternity: Lessons We’ve Learned on Dating and Marriage by Al & Ben Carraway — I read Al’s first book, The Tattooed Mormon, and I really loved it! I wasn’t sure what this book was going to be about, but I wanted to read it! This was a really cute book. It’s fun to see how other people see the importance of marriage, God and learning together. I don’t know much about Ben, so it was cool to get to know him a little at the beginning of the book. They share the same love I have for the Temple so the last chapter of the book was my very favorite. Cute and fun read! ★★★★

A Season of Love: A Christmas Anthology by Carla Kelly — I really, really loved this book! The cutest short stories about love and happiness. This is literally my kind of book, short and sweet :) I love romance novels, especially when they are clean novels. Probably why I really like reading Young Adult books too! Mary and Jo’s story is probably my favorite so far. There’s just something about service, genuine love, and a happy ending that makes my heart melt. Okay, but I also REALLY love Mary Ann and Thomas’ love story. Something about it was just soooo perfect. Gosh. The service, genuine care, and amazing example really lifted my spirits! Loved Beth too, she’s such a cutie a pie. This story also really humbled me and made me realize that I can be grateful for anything!! I should express it often. The last story was hard to get into, so I stopped reading it halfway. So although I didn’t “finish” the book, I just wasn’t interested in finishing. ★★★

Embracing the Broken by Tiffany Webster — Tiffany is just amazing! I’m still reading this one and I just want to cry after every chapter. I feel so understood for the first time in my whole life. I set the bar pretty high for myself, no matter what I do in life. I’m always striving for perfection because I believe I should deliver nothing but that—perfection. It’s a really good book! paperback, free copy in exchange for review

New Reads!

None

What are you reading this month?

If you know me at all, you know how much I love all things planner, organization, markers, pens, pencils, stickers, notebooks, notepads, sticky notes, and everything else in the office/school aisle. I’m super into planners, planner stickers, washi tape, and bullet journaling right now. I finally made the jump at purchased a Leuchttrum1917 Bullet Journal that I found at Barnes and Noble. It was the only one there and I was shocked!

Anyway, I’m really enjoying bullet journaling. It’s really relaxing for me when I’m feeling anxious. I also love to try different spreads so I thought maybe I would share a few of them with you here! This bullet journal of mine won’t necessarily be a “planner” per-say, but just a bunch of random spreads until it’s all full and time to get a new one! :)

The image on the left is my mental health tracker. I thought of doing a semi-colon to represent Project Semi-colon regarding mental health. I really love it!

The image on the right is going to be a spread where I create the “ideal day” so I can have more of a structured routine.